If it ain’t broke…

In a nutshell, this issue’s cover feature is all about doing things wrong. We’re showing you how to take your quality audio recordings, pristine samples and top-of-the-line softsynths and make them sound just a little more... broken. Whether that’s digitally degrading sounds through bitcrushing, or roughing things up with lo-fi gear, we’re here to help you lower the quality of your tracks.

Of course, there’s a little more to it than that, really. Distortion may have started life as a side-effect of misusing equipment, but it’s now firmly established as a vital effect in the toolkits of musicians of all tribes. Similarly, there are plenty of excellent examples out there of how a little lo-fi grit or the odd ‘malfunction’ can add much needed character and creativity to music in the digital realm. In short, if it ain’t broke, it might just be time to break it.

We hope you enjoy this issue of FM.